China to establish nature reserve at disputed South China Sea reef

Beijing: China said Wednesday it would establish a national nature reserve at the contested Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, where it has rep...

Beijing: China said Wednesday it would establish a national nature reserve at the contested Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, where it has repeatedly clashed with rival claimant the Philippines.

The triangular chain of reefs and rocks, known as Huangyan Island in China, has been a flashpoint between the countries since China seized it from the Philippines in 2012.

It lies 240 kilometres (150 miles) west of the Philippines' main island of Luzon and nearly 900 kilometres from Hainan, the nearest major Chinese land mass.

In August, a Chinese navy vessel dramatically collided with a ship from its own coast guard while chasing a Philippine patrol boat near Scarborough Shoal.

In a statement released on Wednesday, China's State Council said establishing the reserve at Scarborough Shoal was "an important measure for maintaining the diversity, stability, and sustainability of the natural ecosystem of Huangyan Island".